The Long Way Home (Corps Security #6)(73)

“You’re beautiful,” I tell him.

“That’s my line, babe.”

I smile and lean into him, reaching out and framing his face. He watches me, hands rubbing my legs.

“You are, hands down, the most magnificent man I have ever known. I am so proud of you, Zeke, honey.”

His hands still, and he tilts his head, studying me.

“You may never know how much, but I am. I know this hasn’t been easy. I know you’re hurting. I’m just worried about you.”

His hold on my thighs tightens, drawling my attention. I had expected him to ignore what I was saying, especially given the heavy heat I saw in his eyes when he got my top off. When I look up and meet his eyes, I suck in a breath at what I see.

They’re clear … almost completely so. Now that I get a good look this close, I can see a lot of the stress he had been carrying has melted away as well.

He looks lighter.

He looks happy.

He looks back at me like he’s holding the whole world in his hand.

“I’ve been given a second chance, Liv. Something that you gave me the strength to reach out and take. I could look at the time I lost with Zac with regret, but that regret would root deep, and it’s the kind of deep that leaks into any ounce of happy you could ever find. Too deep. Just can’t do that, sweet Liv. I can’t give life to those thoughts. If I do, everything I could gain from having my family back will be for nothing because the pain of that would be too much to bear. I know I did what I needed to do then and I’m more thankful that I can ever express that they’re so forgiving of what I did. The rest, well … I have to let that go so we can heal.”

I study him, trying to see the truth in his words.

When I open my mouth to say something, he lifts his hand and gentle places one finger over my lips.

“Trust me, Olivia. Right now, after the past few days we’ve had, I’m breathing easier than I have in decades. Only everything I have been missing with my family and the girl—no, both my girls—that made it all possible are all that matter to me right now. I could get lost in the past, it would be easy to, but instead I have one hell of a future opening up to me and that baby is what is important. I get to hold my girl in my arms and let me tell you, that right there would have been enough to ease my mind of any troubles. And baby, tomorrow I get to take my son to lunch. Nothing but up from here.”

“I trust you. I do,” I whisper, my eyes getting heavy with unshed tears. “It isn’t that I don’t believe what you’re saying. I’m just worried, that’s all.”

“I love you. I’m okay, Liv. I really am.”

“I love you, too.”

He smiles, that heart stopping grin of his that never fails to melt my panties. Now that his cheeks aren’t covered by facial hair, those dimples are able to shine bright. Once again I’m struck with just how perfect he is.

“I’ve got everything I need, baby. Riley, my family here, and you. Only everything I have given up ever believing I would have right here and mine for the taking. Far as I can tell, I just took the long way to get to where I was always meant to be. One day …” he trails off, his mouth coming to my collarbone where he trails kisses up my neck. His warm lips pressing against my sensitive skin before his tongue dips out to give my lobe a little lick. The cool air making me shiver. “One day, you’ll take my name, my real name, and you’ll bless our family with more babies like our Riley girl. One day, we’ll bring Riley down here and she’ll meet my family. She’ll have all those kids to play with, all these adults to love her, and we’ll take each day we’ve been given and treat it like the gift that it is.”

“That’s a lot.” I smile at him. “I’m not sure that I can just turn off the concern I have when it comes to you, but thank you for giving me all of that.” I look down, trailing my fingertips over his chest and down his torso. His stomach flexes as I move over his skin with the light dance of my fingers. The light dusting of hair on his chest making my mouth water. “You’re going to marry me? How do you know I’ll say yes?” I wink at him, and his smile grows.

“Way I see it, I wouldn’t be given the gift of a second chance without you by my side. You gave me this, Olivia. You made all of this possible.”

I shake my head. “I didn’t do anything, honey.”

“You did everything.”

His mouth is on mine before he even finishes speaking. Our tongues dancing together as our hands move quickly to remove the remaining clothing from our bodies. All the while, our mouths stay connected. His hands, warm on my bottom, give a little flex and his fingers dig into my flesh. My core clenches in need for having his hands this close. One more flex of his hands and he shifts us so that I’m lying with his body between my legs. His hard cock settling against my wetness and he rocks his hips gently, the tip of him hitting my clit and making my body fire at a fever pitch. I feel him everywhere except where I want him the most.

We feed on each other’s mouths, our kiss turning hungrier and hungrier. I roam my hands down his back and lift my legs to wrap them around his back. My hips coming off the bed, begging him without words to take me.

His mouth leaves a trail of fire as he moves down my chest.

“Oh my God,” I gasp.

He curls his tongue around my nipple, his mouth open wide as he sucks as much as he can into it. He goes from licking to sucking, his mouth magic against my nipple. I could come from this alone, I just know it. He lifts back slightly, trailing kisses across the path to my other breast. The nipple he just released already begging for more. He rubs his face against my chest, breathing in deeply, before he starts feasting on the other.